30th Hunger Games: Ailynn's story
by Weirdawesomechick
Summary: In the thirtieth Hunger Games, a girl from District twelve tells of her experiences. Ailynn is fourteen years old, but entered only one time, deceiving the Capital as a "twelve year old". The only ones who know of this are her parents, and the boy who visited her. She hates the Capital for the Hunger Games and her misery, and wants to deceive them further, in the Arena.
1. Chapter 1

Time for the Reaping. I don't want to go, but mom says that bad things will happen if I don't. I'm only in there once. I'm twelve. Actually, I'm fourteen, but in order to postpone my possible selection, my parents kept me hidden for years. In District 12, they don't ask questions. I certainly look like I'm twelve. I could have waited for a few years to come out if I wanted to stay cooped up in that little room for the rest of my life. I finally came out. My parents said that my aunt came in the night and brought me, and that she died on the front doorstep. We buried her in the backyard, according to the story, and she was my mother. Obviously none of that happened. I was just sick and tired of staying hidden, and I wanted to come out already. I understand, though. They wanted to keep me safe. I wanted to run away this morning when I woke up. It was my first impulse. The only experiences I have had of the outside world were my mother's accounts, and the Hunger Games on our television set. My legs are still twitching, aching to run, even as I walk to the center of town, where I will stand with the twelve year olds. _Less chance that you will be reaped! _Was my mom's excuse for keeping me hidden. I don't believe it. I don't care how many pieces of paper are in there. To me, there is the same chance of my name getting called regardless of number. And when I hear _Ailynn Rouge_, I am stunned. I give in to the impulse, and run the other way. With a sympathetic look on his face, a peacekeeper stops me. I know when I am caught. I rip my arm out of his hand, and walk up to the stage with my head hung high. Even the woman looks a bit sad, but the look flies from her eyes as soon as it appears. She is supposed to be happy. This is an honor, for her and for me. I pay no mind to the rest of the "ceremony". I am already strategizing. Who will I be in the arena? I can be anyone. No one even knows who I really am. I can play a sad little girl. I can be tough. I can be modest. I can be cold. I can be whoever I please. What will work best? I don't know. Next thing I know I am being escorted to a room. My family will say goodbye to me here. I won't cry or show weakness. I am still a little stunned. Frozen. I guess. My mother and father come in. Someone shouts _five minutes_. Wow. Five minutes left with my loved ones. I know they care for me, but right now I can't feel anything. My mother wraps her arms around me, and I stand there like a log looking at her. Why don't I hug her back! I'm going to regret this later, in the arena. _I love you!_, My mother says. Emptily, I reply the same. I do love her, I just can't show it right now. The cruelty of the Hunger Games is already affecting me. Before I know it she is dragged away from me, tears pooling in her eyes. I bite my lip to stop the tears, and wave. Then a face that I barely recognize appears in the doorway. I hear the same dead call of _five minutes_. Who is this boy? He kisses my lips. I remember. I remember him from school. He is two years ahead of me. 14. He doesn't know I am 14 too. I tell him. In those short five minutes, I tell him everything. He kisses me lightly on the cheek before he, too, is dragged away. I never even found out his name.


	2. Chapter 2

The past few moments are flooding my senses. I can feel even less than I could feel before the boy came. I am glad that no one else comes to visit, because the boy's visit is still monopolizing my attention. I wish I knew his name. I will remember him in the arena, where I will surely die. I won't bother to learn the names of the other tributes. I've seen the previous Hunger Games. I don't want to pay attention to any of this. I won't make friends. I refuse to be forced to kill friends, or anyone for that matter. My strategy? I have worked it out. No allies. No killing. I will hide and wait it all out. I can only hope to survive to find out his name. On the train, I ignore everyone. My fellow District 12 tribute, my lack of a mentor. No one else matters. I'm not heartless, so don't think it for a minute. That is why I am acting so coldly. I don't want to know anyone, mainly the tribute, who will surely die. I spend all of my time in my little train car all by myself. I walk out when told. I have decided that I want my token to be a locket. It was given to me by my parents just before I came out. It contains no picture, but I will imagine the boy's face where a picture should be. Pin-straight dark hair. Green eyes. I miss him even though I don't really even know him. I think I love him. Before I know it, I am lying down on a table being waxed all over. These stupid Capitol women with their stupid accents and stupid hair. I don't want to know them, but I must remind myself that it was how they were raised. It is the Capitol itself that is stupid. They are complimenting me on my jet black hair, my petite figure, and my violet eyes. It annoys me that my eyes are violet, but they say that they wish they could naturally have eyes like these. Then the "head honcho" comes in. I ignore him when he introduces himself, just staring into space. He tells me that I have beautiful eyes, and I need to struggle not to blush by the way he says it. I am supposed to be emotionless! I cannot crack now! He is just another one of those stupid Capitol people. Green hair. Purple eyes. Pale orange skin. He looks stupid. But he has the same eyes as me, so I feel somewhat of a connection with him. "My name is Ailynn." I say. He replies "I know," with a smile. Maybe he isn't so bad? I guess not. He reintroduces himself as Miloto, and I try not to giggle. Miloto puts me in a coal miner's outfit, but violet, to match my eyes, he says. I still don't want to know my fellow District 12 tribute, but I am going to miss this man. I glide out on a chariot behind the 11 other ones, standing coldly like a statue. I do not want to be remembered by these morons, and I don't want to remember any of them either. All I want to remember is my family and that boy.


	3. Chapter 3

For once in my life, I settle down and take a hot shower. I've never been able to take a hot shower before. It feels amazing. When I'm through, I smell of lilacs and lilies and oranges. I used a lot of the orange foamy shampoo. I feel like all I can do is shower, sleep, and eat the magnificent Capitol food, with my own personally set instruction not to socialize with anyone. I do speak to Miloto on the telephone a lot. I think it is okay to talk to him, especially since I have sworn him to secrecy about my personality. He has spoken to me about my dress for the interviews. The best part? I won't even be talking. I intend to sit there like a stone until my time with the interviewer is run out. Miloto tells me that he has designed a beautiful violet dress that seems to be covered in twinkling black coal dust. In the morning, when I see the dress, I gush like the teenage girl I am supposed to be! I made Miloto aware of my situation, so he knew to make the dress slightly more mature than a twelve-year-old should be wearing. I want to give a silent "_screw you, I fooled you"_ to the Capitol, and he agrees as long as it is silent and subtle. Even though I have nothing to lose, he might, if we are found out. But before the interviews are the private "show the judges what you've got" sessions. I don't show, or at least to their eyes I don't. I hide in the room when my name is called last. They are wondering where I am. I jump out in front of their faces and shout "BOO." Then I dismiss myself. I tell Miloto about this and he laughs. I don't bother to sit in front of the television and wait for my score. Who cares? I know I don't. It is interview time, now, after hours of showering and sleeping. I smell like oranges. When I walk out to the stage where the idiot interviewer awaits me, the audience gushes. The interviewer tries to get me to talk. I don't. He pleads with me. I refuse. He finally realizes his attempts are futile, and we sit in silence for the remainder of the time. Later in my room, I laugh. I laugh at the lack of hilarity. Then I curl into the fetal position on my bed and cry. Reality has finally hit. I am going to die. I am never going to see the boy. Never going to learn his name. Never going to see my mother again. I cry myself to sleep. When I awake, I am in the Arena on a metal platform. I missed everything! How? This is strange. I was placed here, asleep? I leap off the platform, and feel my legs explode.


	4. Chapter 4

(AN: I bet I scared you guys a little bit. Probably not….I promise to try to make this chapter longer. I've been cutting back, but I really wanted to end the last one there. Read away) I wake up screaming. I glance down at my legs to make sure they are still there. They aren't? Oh wait. I kick the sheets off, and laugh at myself. I'm really tense. Maybe a shower with lots of orange foam will make me feel better. Today is the day of the Games. I scrub away the remnants of the arena from my dream, making room for more horrors to latch onto me. Miloto comes by my room to guide me to the next step—the tube that will take me to the arena. I am too frozen from the terror to dress myself in the snow pants and heavy jacket, barely even realizing what they actually mean—snow. I haven't seen real snow in my lifetime. I have been trapped in a room for practically my whole life! The fear of what is about to come cannot spoil my excitement for the snow. I put the wool hat, gloves, and thick yet light boots on myself and give Miloto a hug. He kisses me lightly on the cheek, reminding me of the boy that is waiting for me back home. I give him District 12's salute as I step into the tube, as it closes, and only stop when he is out of my sight. I can win this. When I see the huge tributes around me, my excitement falters, but only until the second I see the snow-covered pine trees. I inhale. The aroma of oranges mixed with the pine envelops me, protecting me. The countdown begins. I look at the cornucopia, and am tempted by its valuable riches. Careful to stay on my plate, I turn towards it. The second I hear a bell indicating that it is time to go, I sprint as fast as I can to the cornucopia, grabbing several bags as I go. I pick up a knife in its holster, and disappear into the forest. I won't stop until I feel safe. My mind is whirring. I need water and food. There is hopefully plenty of food in my bags. I almost laugh at my stupidity. Snow means water. I just have to melt it. I stop for a moment, kneel down and grab a handful of snow in my gloved hand, shoving it in my mouth. Hopefully the gamemakers haven't done anything horrible to this snow. It is a relief, anyway, to feel the cool liquid running down my throat. I am sweating in this stupid costume. I start running again. I don't want to stop again for a while. Next on my internal survival checklist is shelter. I could easily climb one of these trees, but it might be even colder farther up there. Safety first, though. I would rather freeze to death than get myself killed. I could probably eat pine bark. I read somewhere once that it is edible, but the leaves aren't. So I could probably stay up in a tree for ages. I keep running, though my breath is coming faster and my throat feels raw. Suddenly I feel a jolt of pain running through my body, and I am forced backward onto the ground. I look up to see a slight flash of light were I was, and then it looks normal. Seems I wasn't even watching where I was going. I banged into a forcefield of some sort. It must be the end of the arena. I think I would like to stay over here. I wonder if the bloodbath by the cornucopia is over yet. I haven't heard any cannons, so probably not. The Career tributes will probably start hunting soon. It is getting dark. Is it over yet? I find the tallest tree in my immediate vicinity, making sure to not bang into the forcefield again. I climb until I find a huge hole in the tree. There doesn't seem to be anything living here. It is almost like this was put here just for me. I settle my things into the hole, and settle myself on a branch outside so I can sort through it. The first bag, a green one, contains three packages of dried fruit and ten strips of beef. It seems the gamemakers don't want us to starve to death before we can kill each other off. That works to my advantage. I won't have to go down to gather anytime soon. I check the second bag, a large white backpack that I barely saw laying there in the snow. Maybe it has something valuable in it. It has a sleeping bag and a flint to make a fire with. It also has an extra pair of socks, and an extra pair of gloves. It even has a pot to cook things in. These things can save my life. The third bag is a violet one. I picked it up because I felt that it, too, was put here just for me. I don't want to open it just yet. I pile the food into the pot, put on the extra socks and gloves, and put the flint into the pocket of my pants. I set up the sleeping bag in my hidey-hole, then put everything that is still out, aka the other packs and the pot filled with food, into the large white backpack. I put the backpack in as a pillow, and climb into my sleeping bag, staring up at the sky in preparation to see how many are dead. The Capitol insignia appears in the sky.


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing. The Capitol insignia shows and disappears. That can't be! People had to have died in the bloodbath! Unless it isn't over, so they don't know about the casualties yet. Will it last through the night? At least I seem to be safe. I wonder if anyone else managed to escape the bloodbath, besides me, of course. Stop it! I can't think about the others! I can't think about the young lives that are about to be lost. I can just hope that I don't come across anyone, and that the bloodbath doesn't end anytime soon, and that there aren't too many casualties. I hope the survivors aren't all Careers. If they are, they are sure to come after me. Unless of course they are all too stupid to realize that there is still someone out there and kill each other. That isn't very likely. The Careers have been trained for all their lives for this. Most of them probably volunteered. I fall into an uneasy sleep.

I am being stalked by the Careers. They are sitting just under my tree. I can hear them talking. "We've pored through the whole area! Where else can she be, Jeff?"

"I don't know, Johnny. Maybe we should split up. The ***** is totally close to us, and we can't find her because she can hear you YELLING and keeps getting away!"

"Well, YOU JUST SHOUTED! You are making it even worse!" Then I see this huge blonde-haired Johnny, covered in cuts, slash Jeff with his axe. I scream in horror, and he turns to me. I guess the sound of the cannon did not block out that of my screech. Duh.

I leave my backpack in the hole, and climb up. I swear the axe he threw barely missed my head. Thankfully it became lodged in the tree, so it seems he is weaponless. Good. My fear returns when another axe whirs past my head. Hopefully he doesn't have any more. This one gets caught in the tree, too. I only have one chance left when the branches become to flimsy for me to stand on. I need to jump to another tree. Another axe flies past my head. Good thing he doesn't have very good aim. I look around for the closest treetop. It looks like it is about 7 feet away from me. I lean back, and jump forward. I clumsily land on a branch. It snaps under my weight. I am falling quickly. Another branch catches me, but I swear I broke my wrist on the way down. Johnny is still close behind me. I climb up the tree, grasping the branches and knots with my good hand. When I decide I have gained enough height, I jump to the second-closest tree, as the closest is the one from which I just came. I jump from tree to tree, gaining more balance as I go, yet my wrist still causing me slight pain. Adrenaline is getting me through this. When I no longer hear Johnny's heavy footsteps on the brush below me, I relax. Except for the fact that I have no idea where I am, or where my tree is, I'm perfectly great! I need to find it before nightfall. The hunger is really getting to me now.

I guess the bloodbath is over considering they were coming after me. Wait! They seemed to be looking for me specifically. That is weird because I didn't pose myself as a threat. I sat there half the time doing nothing. Maybe they weren't actually looking for me. Maybe they escaped the bloodbath. I don't know. I will wait for later and find out which girls are left. I creep down the tree, still careful with my broken wrist. Now that I have time, though, I unzip my jacket and tear a piece of my shirt off and bind my wrist with it. Hopefully this will make it better. I set off towards the direction that I think the tree is in.

All the while I am thinking about the boy. But then a thought about Johnny crosses my mind. What if he is still near? I move more cautiously now, listening for heavy footsteps. I pick up a few pebbles and start throwing them in front of me as I walk. I hope the forcefield is near, because it is growing darker with each passing second. I finally see the telltale flash of light as the pebble flies back toward me. Now I look up at the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of my white backpack. I walk right, tossing pebbles to my left occasionally to make sure the forcefield is near. I see my backpack in the tallest tree, and begin to scale it, still holding my wrist close to my body to protect it from further harm. I settle into my nest and begin to watch the skies to see the fatalities, and calculate the survivors.


	6. Chapter 6

As I wait for the names to appear in the sky, I pull my locket out of my shirt. I open it up and look at the panel on the right side. I can see his face. I glance back up at the sky and notice the Capitol insignia. I don't look back down. I might have slept through the cannons of the people who died in the bloodbath even though Johnny and Jeff woke me up. Jeff was the last to die, I know this much. Jeff's face appears first, along with District 1. Evidently, Jeff was the tribute from District 1. The girl from District one died, too.

I don't recognize any of the other faces of the deceased. The survivors are: the girl and Johnny from District 2, the boy from District 5, the girl from District 7, the boy from District 11, and me. Six of us. They might all have been Careers, but with the pickings being so slim, the Careers are definitely split up by now. Somehow I don't think Johnny would have left anyone alive, so anyone who left must have done so in the night. Maybe he was looking for the District 2 girl! That seems more likely than the possibility that he was looking for me. Wait! What if he comes back here! He knows where I am. He'll probably have assumed that I wouldn't come back here. Then I might be safe. Even so, I think I need to leave.

I roll up my sleeping bag and shove it into the white backpack with my other things, only after pulling out a beef strip to munch on as I walk. I haven't eaten anything at all here yet. I jump down from my hiding place after listening for footsteps. I need to find a better hiding spot when I am still under the cover of night. The white backpack is a very valuable thing to have in this arena, as it blends in with the shining snow and ensures that I won't look like a shadow in the dark if someone happens across me. I make sure to stay close to the end of the arena, since I figure that everyone is still somewhat close to the center of the arena.

I find a really tall tree, the tallest in my vicinity, and start to climb, still careful not to hurt my wrist even more. I find a branch that is way up there, yet still seems strong, and I curl up on it in my sleeping bag, latching myself to it with the backpack, which has a belt to keep it to my body. Not as comfortable as my old nest, but it will have to do. Tomorrow, I think I will have to open the purple bag.

I am on a beach. I have never seen a beach before, but apparently there are lots of them in District 4. I see someone in the water, slowly walking out. It is him. The boy. The boy who said goodbye. I still don't know his name. I decide that I am going to awake from this dream, as it is just taunting me. I know I don't know his name, not even unconsciously, so it will not be revealed in the dream. I wake up.

It is a good thing that I don't toss and turn as I sleep, or I might be on the ground even if I did strap myself in as a precaution. I hold on tight to the backpack so it doesn't fall as I unstrap myself. Fortunately, I am strong enough that it doesn't. I want to look in the purple bag now. I unzip the big white backpack and pull the violet bag out of the pot. Carefully, I pull open the flap.

…

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The bag is empty. I feel heartbroken. I wonder how the viewers feel. I'm sure they know how crappy this makes me feel. It is showing all over my face. I put the fruit inside it. It may as well be useful. I'm hungry again, so I reopen the purple bag and have a piece of what I think is apricot. I close it and put it back in the pot and close up the white backpack.

I'm just going to stay in this tree for the time being. Nowhere better to go right now. I pack up my sleeping bag and stake out my surroundings, watching for any other tributes. Even though I do have a weapon, I don't want to, nor do I know how to use it. If anyone comes, my defense will be to hide.

I hear the sound of a cannon. I wonder who died now. I hear two more cannons. Three people left. This is moving very quickly. I am sure there was just a mini battle. Someone else probably came out alive. I am still safe.

I doubt the gamemakers will come out with a tactic to bring us together yet. Probably not for a day or so, until everything gets boring. Then I hear the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Johnny appears from the shadows, bleeding badly from a wound on his abdomen. I hate to say this, but I feel really bad for him.

*to be continued in the next chapter*


	7. Chapter 7

I start to climb down the tree to help him, and then I hesitate. He slashed a boy in half. What would he do to me?

He lumbers into the forcefield. A part of me dies as I see his charred body twitching there on the ground. A cannon sounds. He is dead. A thought occurs to me. He might have been carrying valuable items.

My stomach churns at the smell of his burning flesh as I climb down the tree. I pull his backpack off of his heavy body, then, with great difficulty, I flip him over to search his pockets. I pull off his jacket and gloves, instead. I will search his pockets later, but right now, I step away from the body, lean over, and gag, but hold in the little food I have consumed. I leave the newly acquired things at the base of my new tree, and climb up to bring the white backpack down. This place is too filled with misery for me, and anyway, the only person that knew my previous location is dead now. I go back to my old tree, the one with the hollow. I have no problem finding it. It is the tallest tree near the forcefield.

I clamber up and shove everything in the hollow, along with myself. I don't want to search Johnny's things now. I just go to sleep.

….

It is a restless sleep filled with images flashing through my head. Filled with random dreams. The worst dream is of the boy. He has a crude expression on his face, full of anger and disgust. This expression is directed at me. He starts screaming at me, calling me a heartless b****. I try to explain to him. I was going to help Johnny! I had decided to help him right as he crashed into the forcefield, but it was too late! He tells me that it was heartless to disturb his body and steal his things. I say that I had no choice! I need to survive to find out who he is! He disagrees. He says all he felt was pity, and then he leaves me there to die from a broken heart.

Then that dream flashes to another. A good one. Filled with candy that I have never been able to afford. Miloto is there telling me that I can eat all I want, and I eat orange flavored candy until I feel full. Then I go to sleep.

….

With the last dream of orange flavored candy, I wake up to a very faint scent of oranges, and a strong thirst. I clumsily scramble down from my hiding place and scoop up a handful of snow with each hand. I shove a handful into my mouth and let it melt. Then I do the same with the other. Then I decide that I cannot postpone it any longer. I need to look through Johnny's old things.

In the backpack that is half the size of my large white one, I find a feast. Apparently, he gathered up a lot at the cornucopia. A huge fest of beef strips and fruit, and even a water bottle. After removing all of the food, I find other things. His own sleeping bag, paper, charcoal pencils, and a few drawings of trees. Apparently, this boy is an artist. Under that, I see a flash of silver. It is a silver parachute that I assume carried the paper and pencils that probably kept him somewhat sane.

In a pocket of his jacket, I see another piece of paper. I start to put it on the pile of the others when I realize it is another picture that he drew. It is a picture of a girl. I assume that it is his girlfriend back home, and am reminded of the boy whose name I do not know. Johnny is human too. He was put in the position of a Capitol pawn, but he is human. A strong bolt of anger at the Capitol pulses through me, but I keep it hidden from the cameras that are everywhere. I only sorrow be exposed through my eyes.

Determined to do something, anything, to show that we are all people, we are all the same, to show the Districts that we need to stand together, I flip the drawing of the girl, labeled Adelaide, over, and try my hand at drawing.


	8. Chapter 8

I hold up the paper and examine my work. I think I did a pretty good job depicting the boy from District 12. It looks a lot like him. I can't label it, as I don't know his name, but I feel like the point is clear. We are all people. I fold up the picture and put it in the purple bag, emptying out its previous contents into the pot in my white bag. Then, I smile knowingly. Honestly, that smile really means nothing, but I am hoping that the people will interpret it the way I want them to.

Suddenly, I hear a voice ring through the arena. "Tomorrow morning at sunrise, there will be an event at the cornucopia. Each of the remaining tributes will have the opportunity to choose one of several packages. It will be worth your while."

I have to say I am tempted by this offer, and wondering what this "package" will be. It probably won't be worth my while, though, because it was most likely created to lure us together. I don't understand it, though, because Johnny was killed just yesterday, so people won't be bored yet. But, I guess the gamemakers might want to end things soon. Anyway, I don't think I have any intention of going. It is just me, and one other person. I will not find out whom. I slept through the last viewing of deceased tributes after the horrific experience with Johnny's death.

I don't think I want to go to this thing, but I am starting to reconsider. It might be better not to prolong the inevitable. I think I should go.

I come up with an idea. I need one of Johnny's axes. The ones that he flung at me while I tried to flee. I jump to one of the trees near me, and pry an axe out of it. It is much lighter than I expected it to be. Then I set off for "phase 2" of my plan. I run off to the cornucopia. I hide in the very back of it and clutch the axe, and I'm sure that under the gloves, my knuckles are pale white.

I had put Johnny's jacket on to keep me warm, but I am sweating nervously so I slide it off. It is still dark out. I slowly make my way to the front of the cornucopia to look up at the stars, trying to find random pictures in the stars. I see his face. I know I am imagining it, but I stare at it anyway.

I drift off into an uneasy sleep. When I awake, it is still dark out. My legs are cramped from crouching there for I don't know how long. I am still holding on to the axe for dear life. I am terrified that I am going to die. I was expecting it, anyway, but I didn't know that I would make it to the last 2. So many before me have died, in this arena and in others. This is the 30th games. 22 have died here so far. 29 times 23 plus 22. 689 people have died.

I was sort of hoping that the math would relax me, but it doesn't. It just reminds me that one more person will die right here. It will probably be me.


	9. Chapter 9

(AN: Well crap. It's been quite a while, now hasn't it. I'm glad the idea for this chapter has stuck in my head for so long…whelp, let's get to it.)

Since it is still dark, I'm sure I will be safe from the other tribute's arrival…I hope. I stand up, legs sore from crouching there for so long. I pace around the inside of the cornucopia for probably hours to stretch them out in case I need to flee, as I haven't quite swallowed all of my fears of dying. I see a faint light from the opening, and, quietly as I can, tiptoe towards it.

The sky outside is bright, happy blue, and I can't help but think that this is the last time I will ever see beauty. Well…the sun has recently risen, so where is the other tribute…and the big surprise. Around the cornucopia, I see something rising out of each of the plates that we all arrived in.

My attention shifts as the voice from the other night rings through the air. _Remaining tributes…You may not touch each other until I give the word to do so. Come out come out, wherever you are._

He chuckles, and I see a shadow directly ahead of me come out from the trees. A beautiful girl, blood covering her clothing and a solemn expression tarnishing her pale face, appears. I step out as well. _Well, don't be rude. Introduce yourselves. _Even the Capitol people can't deny that this is cruel. Forcing us to get to know each other before we are forced to fight and one of us will kill the other. I hear her voice ring through the silent arena: "Jenna Pinnet." I reluctantly reply: "Ailynn Rouge."

_Well, shake hands. _I step forward at the same time that she does. I grasp her hand, and feel the life being squeezed out of my own. I can tell it is from nervousness, and I nod and squeeze hers briefly, to let her know that there will be no hard feelings. She gives me a half smile.

_You are now an alliance. _I look into her eyes, and she is giving me the same confused look as I know I have on my face.

_That's right. You are a team. You are working together now, against the other tributes. _Still extremely confused, our attention is now grabbed by the slowly-rising plates. The tributes? The dead ones! They have been brought back to life.

_We decided to hold a special event in memory of the revolt of the Districts 30 years ago, as a reminder that though the Capitol was highly outnumbered, it still prevailed over the districts. As the Capitol, you too, might come out on top. _

I look around and see that Johnny is glaring me with obvious resentment. I call out to him, though I know it will help no one and will change this situation in no way, shape, or form. "I tried to save you, you know. I was just coming down to help as you ran into the end of the Arena. I'm sorry. Sorry that I couldn't help you, and sorry that I heartlessly pulled your supplies from your body. It made me sick with myself." I pull out my purple backpack from my bag, and unfold the drawing. "This is the girl that you love, and this is who I love," I say, showing him both pictures, "We are the same." I am sure this will never be aired, but I needed to get it off my chest. For a moment, the look in Johnny's eyes softens, but he is controlled by the Gamemakers now, and the glare returns in seconds.

Beside me, Jenna reaches over and clutches my hand. I look into her eyes and I know that only one of us will live, but we have each others' backs until the jerky voice says the word. 


	10. Chapter 10

(AN: Well now I really don't know precisely what is going to happen from here. I'm just gonna make it up as I go along, and hopefully it'll turn out well. We shall all be surprised.)

After getting over the shock of the big surprise that the Capitol pulled on us, it registers that the voice has started speaking again. I hear _ten, nine, eight…_ Wondering what's going on, I look at Jenna for an answer. "They're giving us a ten-second head-start…we should probably run for our lives right about now."

With my mind racing, Jenna and I run into the forest in the direction that I came from as fast as we possibly can. I almost forgot it had been snowing at the beginning when I slip on the icy mess that the snow combined with the freezing cold has made. Unfortunately, being that we were clutching each-other's hands for dear life, Jenna falls back on top of me. Still unfortunately, they are still chasing us. Yet fortunately, they are far enough behind us that we can just safely pick ourselves up and go again without worrying about getting our throats slit.

Hours later, we stop for a moment only when we can no longer hear the sound of heavy boots crashing onto the ground behind us. "Jenna, for most of the time that I was in here, I stayed close to the edge of the Arena in a hollow high up in a tree. I think we should stay there."

"That should work. I can't believe I didn't think of doing that. I wish I had. My mentor figured I would be safe if I stayed in the middle of things. Hate to say I was with the Careers, but that didn't last for too long," She shudders and gets a cold, distant look in her eyes, "I saw so much death…" she continues almost silently, and I leave her to reflect on her thoughts, not knowing what to say to improve her mood. Being stuck in a room with only parents to talk to for 14 years doesn't do much for my people-skills.

We continue walking, but now with a goal: to find the edge of the Arena. I pick up a handful of snow and toss it into my mouth, thirst overwhelming me for a little while. I drink some out of my water-bottle, and notice Jenna looking at it with longing. I pass it to her, and she nods gratefully. When she is done, I refill it with snow, and put it in the sleeve of Johnny's giant jacket to try to melt it quickly.

It is starting to get dark, and fear starts to creep up upon me. Scary things always happen at night, when you can't see your enemies. I step closer to Jenna, hoping that some human contact with a friend will help me feel better. I feel her shiver next to me and can't believe I have been so selfish. I pull off Johnny's jacket, and feel a rush of cold air. This is how Jenna has probably felt the whole time. Since the jacket is big enough for the both of us, I put my arm in the left sleeve and she puts her arm in the right, and our combined body-heat keeps us warm.

Where the hell is the force-field, though? I swear it should have come up already. I feel Jenna convulse and go limp beside me, and I am now supporting the entirety of her weight, which isn't very much. Well I guess we found it. I pull her away from it as quickly as I can. Since she wasn't barreling towards it like Johnny had been when he died (I shudder and let out a sob at the thought and the mental image that comes with it), she should be okay.

I yank off the jacket and lay Jenna on the ground, checking to see if she is breathing. Fortunately, she is. Unfortunately, she is unconscious, and I have to carry her. Again, unfortunately, her right shoulder looks charred. Fighting the reflex to gag, though letting the tears flow as they please, I look up to the sky and scan the tops of the trees around us. I see an extremely tall one, the tallest in the area. A few yards, feet, meters, whatever measurements down from the top, I see a gaping hole. My home. OUR home.

I put her on my shoulders and climb until I reach a thick branch. With the combined weight of myself, Jenna, and both our supplies, fatigue is taking over my body. I hang the straps of our packs on the branch, pushing them as close to the trunk as I can. At first, I was a bit nervous that the other "tributes" would see the bright white of mine, but then I remember the snow should make them less suspicious. Jenna still on my back, I climb to the hollow and rest her inside it. Then I head back down to grab the packs, pulling them up as well and gently placing hers under her head. Carefully, I take Johnny's jacket off of her and put it over the two of us as a blanket. Soon after, I fall into an uneasy sleep, worrying more about Jenna's health than about the zombie tributes seeking us out.

(AN: Well that turned out pretty okay. Hated doing that to Jenna, but the Capitol is much more ruthless than I, and it was necessary and made this chapter much more interesting than it was to me without)


End file.
